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Sehmi Si Dhadkan’s intense, melancholic sound is a familiar one, made even more so by the presence of Atif Aslam behind the mic. Composer Vipin Patwa fares much better in his second offering that also features a Pakistani singer, Javed Bashir. Tain To Uttey is a Bulleh Shah poem that Patwa sets to a dark, nuanced melody (bairagi bhairav/revathi, the raga seems to be) that Bashir unsurprisingly aces. The frenzied folk rock fusion in the background orchestration accentuates the song’s allure. Bollywood gets another lady composer in Anupama Raag (nice to see that there have probably been more entries to this rather small list in the past couple of years or so, than the rest of Bollywood years combined!). Azaad Kar is a fine debut from Raag, setting Gaurav Solanki’s fabulously written verse to a simple and incredibly soothing melody and arrangement (can never get enough of that seven beat lullaby-ish cadence). And the lines find a perfect carrier in the earthy, sincere voice of Swanand Kirkire (who incidentally debuted with another Sudhir Mishra film fifteen years back). The weakness in the tune Shamir Tandon chooses for Sameer Anjan’s Marne Ka Shauk is mitigated to an extent by the general intensity in the song, thanks to the heavy arrangement (the esraj/sarangi in the interlude is a nice contrasting addition) and the singers Krishna Beura and Papon. Was pleasantly surprised to see Hindi rock band Sifar’s frontman Amit Yadav‘s named credited for mixing and mastering of the song.

Munir Niazi’s Kuj Shoq Si Yaar forms the basis of Arko’s Rangdaari, with the composer-lyricist supplying his own words for the song’s main melody. Standard melancholic rock, yet decent song that would have worked well had it – as is a usual problem with Arko songs – not been for Arko himself leading the vocals. More of a pity when you hear a superior singer Navraj Hans get a total airtime of just over 40 seconds, rendering Niazi’s verse. After Bulleh Shah and Munir Niazi, it is Faiz Ahmed Faiz’s turn to get a contemporary treatment in Raat Youn Dil Mein Teri. And among the three, Faiz gets the best pick. The perennially underrated Sandesh Shandilya is the man in this case, presenting the poem in a charming ambient package with some fab touches like the mellow use of saxophone. Papon and Shradha Mishra deliver this one. Even in his other song titled Challa Chaap Chunariya penned by Deepak Ramola the soundscape is similar, albeit a pacier one. Shandliya does a more brilliant job here, incorporating folk elements into the immersive electronic arrangement. Rekha Bhardwaj has always nailed folksy tunes, and delivers equally well here too.

Daas Dev. The Sarat Chandra Chattopadhyay novel’s Bollywood adaptations have almost always been known for their music, even winning the composer a national award in the last one. This one doesn’t reach such peak levels, but is a mighty impressive soundtrack nevertheless, scoring more for its poetry than the music.